Rules are necessary to
maintain a pleasant and happy relationship, but if rules are made with selfishness,
bias, ego and overbearing, and full of injustice and enforcement, then rules
may become destructive rather than constructive. For example, you have to give
me all your income; I will be in charge of your finances. You have to do all
the cleaning alone before bed. You have to report your location every half an
hour. You have to take my orders in front of my friends. How many of you are
living under biased and unreasonable rules, being helpless and depressed? How
much longer can you oppose?
Other difficulties in making applicable rules come from the contradiction of
different recognizable standard of social phenomenon, habits and human nature
between male and female, masculinity and femininity. For example, is it ok to
leave our jacket on the couch? Can we hang it up a bit later? Is it ok to wash
the dishes later? Is it ok to wear wrinkle shirt? Should we take it easy or
take it hard? How many male or female will agree or disagree with the above
questions? How many times are we arguing small problems like these? Are we both
losing our patience in advice or taking advice?
We always argue with excessive points of view, both sides seem to have their
reasons and supporters from their own sex to bolster their views and action,
both sides want to stick to their guns and will not make any concessions. Therefore,
we need to strike a happy medium, to make rules to please both sides.
Successful rules need to be fair and unbiased, and have regulations or points
to balance and please both sides. We all have a lot of demerits and bad habits,
if you want someone to correct one of their demerits or bad habits, you have
to let them pick one of yours to correct in return. For example, if you are
always nagging or shouting someone with impatience to pick up their clothes,
the other party can then insist you to have patience and ask politely. Then
you two can both benefit from attitude improving and house cleaning.
Money is also a good source to reward someone for obedience, or fine someone
for disobedience. If money is adequate, you can reward him or her each time
for doing something right. Like giving them $10 for hanging all their clothes
every day, if they fail to do so, you can take back $15. If money is inadequate,
you can ask he or she to first give you $300, and give them back $10 each day
for doing it correctly. At the end of the month, if they can get back all $300,
you can give them an extra reward of $20 - $50 for encouragement.
Our different standard in accepting different contrary, behavior, habits and
personality are also key factors in happy relationship and marriage. For example,
if you are confronting people for picking noses, but having a hard time stopping
them anywhere anytime due to rebellious nature, you can try to lower your standard,
and allow them to do it at home or out of public, and clean it thoroughly with
tissue or water afterward. If severe rules can not win obedience and respect
for you, giving proper freedom and respect can turn the tide and regain the
mutual respect and strengthen our weakening relationship.
For ending a cold war requires to have different attitude and point of views
to look at the whole problem. The reason why couples take so long to reconcile
is because they are struggling about right or wrong, and who should apologize
first. But apologizing is sometimes considered losing face and dignity, and
may lose the right to command and sovereignty in the future intercourse.
Therefore, we need to look at the whole thing in a totally different angle and
point of view, to apologize first means you are more mature, responsible and
caring. How often will you hear the childish side to take the initiative to
apologize first? You should even take all the blames, tell the other side the
mature side has no concern about admitting mistakes, taking all the blames and
responsibilities. You just want to make him or her happy, to end the crisis
and argument as soon as possible, to improve the mutual love and relationship.
Then you will be leading him or her to self-introspection and growing up, to
admit part or all of the responsibilities and mistakes, to mutual non-aggression,
and mutual respect for integrity and sovereignty.
Logically speaking, we should accept everyone to have his or her own point of
views and different opinions, unless you only want flatterers or liars around
you. Therefore, having different opinions doesn't really mean disrespect; it
is just a sign of honesty and sincerity.
A lot of our arguments starts from different opinions, unrelated trivial matters
or household affairs, and is totally worthless and time consuming to arguing
and winning your points. This is already a good reason to stop any of these
arguments, you don't need to win your points on something worthless, you want
to win his or her love, you want to win a good relationship or everlasting marriage.
You want him or her to love you more and more with less and less argument, you
don't want him or her to love you less and less with more and more argument.
Therefore, the earlier you bring out this theory, the earlier you can stop your
argument. Ask them to use the same method on you when you start arguing about
something worthless or irrational.
The best way to handle tales and rumors is to have our mouths sealed and not
respond, or just simply reply, "Really?" "Oh, I don't have any
comments", etc. One careless response may spread the tales or rumors wider
and wider, and you may fall into the trap and be the next victim. Another way
to solve the crisis is to praise the victim, telling the gossipers you don't
mind about the criticism or it is not a big deal for someone to make mistakes,
and we should show our generosity in forgiving instead of blaming.
Correct praising can sometimes reverse the straits, the following example can
give you a good example for praising correctly:
The mother is always complaining in front of the kids about their father making
so little money and being so incompetent, and trying to incite the kids against
their father. But the father hasn't denied all the blames, but instead admits
all of his incompetence and even praising for her competence. One side is trying
to isolate their kids from the father, the other side is trying to return good
for evil, if you are the kids, if you have the sense of righteousness, which
side will you be supporting? If the kids tell their mom about the praise and
generosity of their father, do you think she will get touched and change her
attitude toward her husband?
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, if you are revenging with what she has
done to you; then, you are really following her poor conducts and learning her
mistakes. I really wouldn't call this rebellion, because you are doing exactly
what the others are doing. To be truly rebellious, you need to reverse everything,
if she is bad, then you should be nice; if she is revenging, then you should
be forgiving; if she is criticizing, then you should be praising, if she is
creating disaster, then you should be making miracle.
If you really have problems and difficulties in your marriage, look for the
correct person who can really help, you don't need anyone who will further provoke
your other half with their one-side biased views. A lot of people are trying
to pour water to extinguish the fire, but may accidentally pour oil to make
the fire burning even stronger.
These theories can make people understand what true love and care is all about.
Then, nightmare can turn into sweet dream, stress can turn into relaxation,
hell can turn into heaven, and crying eyes can turn into smiling faces. If you
have big decision to make or problems can not solve, drop me a note, and see
if I can help.